History of Fairground Rides

For many people, the fairground is now defined by the thrill and spectacle of the riding machines. These rides have a complex history defined by mechanical capability and cultural and social trends.

The Big Wheel has been in existence as long as the swings and roundabouts and, just like these classic fairground rides, its basic design principles have remained unchanged since.

The most spectacular wheels, comprising of 40 carriages and capable of carrying over 1,000 passengers, were specially built for early exhibitions such as the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 and the Empire of England Exhibition at Earls Court in 1894. Their specific production for traveling the fairs did not start until the mid-twentieth century with modest machines containing 16 cars, which were eventually scaled down to more portable 12 car versions.

Giant Wheels have lost their appeal as a thrill ride in the modern fairground. However, they have been sprouting up in every major city in the world, marketed as tourist attractions and geared towards sightseeing; The London Eye is a fine example of this new concept.

European fairground rides manufacturers are now capable of building giant traveling wheels, but the wheel has become more of an icon of the fairground than a popular ride. Varied popular fairground rides here: http://bestonparkrides.com/fairground-rides-for-sale/

The Dodgems as we know them today were introduced in Britain in 1928 by Messrs Lusse Brothers. Earlier models of this type of ride had been in existence before this time, but they did not gain popularity in the UK until they were presented in the fairgrounds by a number of British firms including Orton and Spooner, Robert Lakin, Lang Wheels and Rytecraft. Savages were in decline by this time but they did build a set of Dodgems for London showman Patsy North.

The origin of the Dodgem track is difficult to trace with several claims to its invention and a multitude of patents in existence. However, the most important aspect of the Dodgems is their development in their current format; a controllable bumper car powered through an electrical pick-up linked to the roof nets.

The Pleasure Beach at Blackpool had a Dodgem type machine as early as 1913 called the Witching Waves whereby motion was provided by a complex arrangement of tilting floor panels. This is likely to have been upgraded in 1921 with the Dodgems introduced and patented by concessionaire George Tonner.

Paul Braithwaite's index of patents has various entries for Dodgems; the first patent is simply described as a 'Dodgem system' in 1921, it is not clear if this resembled a modern day machine. The next one's date of 1923 and are described as, ‘Dodgem type rocking horse and Bumper cars on dished track’, and 'Bumper Car' patented by Lusse Brothers. Lusse Brothers provided further patents in the following years for drive mechanism and steering, which indicates a development towards the modern Dodgems. It is still unclear whether the famous electrical pick-up via pole was in operation at this point. Three more patents followed in 1928 by different companies including Lusse Brothers for ‘Dodgem electrical apparatus’, ‘Dodgem Car power unit’ and ‘Dodgem Car improved bumper’. Certainly, in this latter period, Lusse perfected the Dodgem car as a microcosmic motor car with futuristic designs appearing up until recent times.

Another novelty introduced to Britain in the early 1920s was the Caterpillar. After a season in a permanent park, the first example was taken over by the Green Brothers, who traveled at least four of these rides. Most Caterpillars were built either on the continent or in America, but a few did begin life in Britain. Today they are restricted almost exclusively to parks. Sadly, Green's original machine was broken up in Morecambe in the 1980s.

The development of fairground rides after the Second World war was fast and frantic.

Just before the war, a few new American novelty rides found their way into Britain. The Octopus and the Dive Bomber, built by the Eyerly Company, were functional in nature and stripped of the rich decorations that once defined the early British Fairground. The British showmen quickly adapted these rides to give them unique identities to indicate the thrills on offer through artwork. Britain also added its own ideas, and attractions with names such as the Hurricane, Jets, Twists, Satellites, and Meteorites soon populated the fairground.

Slowly, however, it was the influence of the German and Italian builders who put the decorative skills of the British Fairground artists back to use. The Superbob, Matterhorn, Pirate Boat and the Break Dance, all have "back-flashes" which give the ride a theme. Sometimes these were inspired by blockbuster films and pop music hits such as Ghostbusters and Thriller. The final part of this re-birth in fairground art came with the introduction of the Miami Trip whereby the UK established itself at the top of fairground art design.

Competition in the 1990s still encouraged showmen to invest in new rides, but increasingly this demand has been supplied by foreign manufacturers. Top Spins, Orbiters, and Quasars have been built in Britain, as was Wilson's Super Bowl, but 'big-hitting' rides increasingly come from Dutch and Italian manufacturers. The development of highly advanced spinning and looping rides is still underway and looks set to continue long into the twenty-first century.